Monday, March 06, 2006

What if the quantum crowd is right?

If the quantum mechanics theorists are right, it changes everything. For instance, if we take quantum mechanics seriously, we cannot think that objects have ever a definite position. They have a positions only when they interact with something else. And even in this case, they are in that position only with respect to that "something else": they are still without position with respect to the rest of the world.

Yikes! That means Newton and even Copernicus had it wrong, at least at the nano level and below. Right now, not too many people take quantum physics seriously. They explain it away by saying it applies only to atoms." But, you have to say, if it applies to atoms and all mater is made of atoms, well does this baby scale? And the fact is that the vast majority of mathematics geniuses say quantum mechanics is accurate. Do you hear that? It computes. It all adds up. Could that possibly mean its a fundamental fact of physical science? And, if it is, what does that mean in terms of how we interact with the physical world. Oh, how about other dimensions? The electrons that sometimes disappear are sad by the quantum guys to be in another dimension. Does that provoke some thought, bucky? It does with me.

Here's something else to ponder: Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It has to do with what, precisely, is right now. If we say, right now in reference to what we see up in the night sky--stars and stuff, well, it is complete nonsense. That light is millions of years old! There is no right now elsewhere in the universe. So, what the hell, we keep saying "right now," even though a bit of think time will throw that concept out the window. I guess we can do the same thing with quantum mechanics, right?

The thing about that is that it is really "small minded." And I'm not referring the small stuff of the quantum world. I'm thinking of our insistence on using the rules and regulations of our very limited, infinitesimally and insignificant existence to describe things universal. So, when the math guys agree on quantum calculations, are they based on this "small thinking?" Probably not, but they are quite possibly limited by the physical barriers to our comprehension.

So I don't blame the physicists and the mathematicians. I blame us--the questioning, wondering, small-minded ordinary folk who expect the brilliant scientists to know what the world is like and explain it to us. So they try. And, being proud of their genius status, they don't remind us often enough that it just might all be a crock of shit.